An Empty Rainbow
by lilwoodb
Summary: What if Rachel & Kirsty HADN'T been on Rainspell Island when the Rainbow Fairies were banished? What went on between rescues? This is my version of the first seven books, minus the human girls and plus several frogs. I tried to give good insight on both the Rainbow Fairies' & Jack Frost's personalities/relationships - stuff that, sadly, is never covered in the bookseries.
1. Repelled

**Repelled**

King Oberon and Queen Titania, majestically dressed in gold and silver, strode past the frog orchestra to the front of the ballroom. The noise and chatter in the room fell to a hush. The king cleared his throat. "Fairies and other friends," he announced, "we are delighted to see that all of you came to join in our special celebration. Welcome to the Midsummer Ball!"

Everyone cheered. Oberon nodded to Melodie the Music Fairy, who was conducting the orchestra. She raised her wand as if it were a baton, and the frogs began to play a lively waltz.

Standing off to the side, Ruby the Red Fairy watched the dancing with satisfaction. "A job well done on the invitations, I must say," she commented to her younger sister Fern.

The Green Fairy nodded in agreement. "I'm glad we prewrote them last year. It saves a lot of time, even with the help of magic. We had so many to send!"

"I agree with you there!" Ruby fiddled with her red satin dress inattentively. "Thanks to that, we've got a good crowd this year." Then she groaned as something got her attention. "Oh, dear! Look at Amber!"

On the other side of the ballroom, the fairies' sister was certainly not dancing. Aided by her wings, the Orange Fairy was executing a series of cartwheels and backflips in midair. Amber's peach-colored unitard flashed, and her copper-brown ponytail whipped around with every turn.

"It's all right," Fern assured Ruby. "Let it be. You know that Amber's not much of a dancer."

"Not like Heather," said a voice. Inky the Indigo Fairy sauntered up to them, munching on a tea sandwich. "I danced with her, but my, she wore me out! Handed her off to Sunny so I could get a break."

Ruby laughed. "That's Heather for you! Look, there she is." Ruby pointed to a fairy with wavy blonde hair and a violet dress, both of which were swishing in all directions as the Violet Fairy twirled. Sunny, the littlest sister, was trying hard to keep up with Heather's pace, but without much success.

"Poor Sunny!" said Fern sympathetically. "Inky, are you _trying_ to give her a hard time?"

"_Moi?_" Inky replied, casually straightening the lapels on her jean jacket. "You wound me, sister!"

Smiling, Ruby rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Inky."

Meanwhile, the waltz ended, and the dancers applauded the musicians. Heather let go of the Yellow Fairy's hand and curtsied. "Good dancing, Sunny!" she complimented.

Breathless, Sunny ran a hand through her short, saffron hair. Her yellow T-shirt was damp with sweat. "Whew! I think I'll . . . . sit the next one out, if you don't mind."

"Are you sure?" Heather paused as the orchestra began another tune. "This one sounds slower."

Sunny backed up. "No thanks! I, uh, need to get a glass of water!" And she dashed away.

"I'll dance with you, Heather," a voice said, barely audible over the noise in the ballroom. Heather turned to see Sky the Blue Fairy standing behind her. Sky was shy yet very pretty, with her blue suede dress and boots enhancing her pale complexion. A silver tiara headband gleamed among her golden curls.

Heather beamed. "Why, thank you, Sky," she said, taking her outstretched hand.

But before they could join in the dancing, Sky felt a chill go up her spine. She shuddered, rubbing her bare arms. "Oh! Is it just me, or is there a draft in here?"

Her older sister frowned. "No, you're right. But I don't get it. It's Midsummer, why would . . . ?" She trailed off. Heather's mind flashed back a week, to the day she and her sisters had sent out the invitations. Despite her sisters' confidence, Heather hadn't been able to shake the feeling that they had overlooked someone important.

And then it hit her. Dragging Sky along, Heather hurried over to Ruby, who had also noticed the temperature drop. "Ruby, when we sent out invitations, did we remember to invite—"

A blast of icy wind cut her off. By now, everyone was aware of the chill, for the ballroom was now filled with a strange mist. The orchestra stopped playing as their instruments grew cold. Then a pallid, spindly man dressed in white strode through the double doors, looking very angry. Queen Titania hurried toward him. "Jack Frost, what a nice surprise," she greeted, looking flustered. "Have you come to join us?"

The winter warlock scowled. "Where are the Rainbow Fairies?" he demanded.

Ruby stepped forward, her six sisters huddled behind her uncertainly. "Right here," she said.

Jack Frost swiveled to face them. "You _are_ in charge of the invitations, correct?"

"That's correct," Ruby answered, her voice trembling slightly.

"And you send them to everyone residing in and around Fairyland?"

"Yes . . . . of course."

"THEN WHY WASN'T I INVITED?!"

Ruby's jaw dropped. Heather's face screwed up in anguish. Their sisters gasped, terrified.

"_Well?_" Jack Frost pressed, his eyes glaring daggers.

"I-I d-don't understand, we sure—er, we m-made sure th-that . . . ." Ruby stammered, horrified.

"Jack Frost, please," Titania implored, coming to the girl's rescue. "It was only an honest mistake, and I'm sure that they won't make it again. You're welcome to stay and—"

He whirled on her. "That's what you said a century ago, when their predecessors 'forgot!' Well, I won't tolerate it! I WON'T!" Jack Frost turned to the Rainbow Fairies, who stepped back in fright. "A crime such as this must not go unpunished. You _will_ face the consequences!" And he raised his wand:

"_Cold winds blow and thick ice forms,_

_I conjure up this fairy storm._

_To seven corners of the human world_

_The Rainbow Fairies shall be hurled!_

_I curse every part of Fairyland_

_With a frosty wave of my icy hand._

_For now and always, from this day,_

_Fairyland shall be cold and grey!"_

While Jack Frost spoke, the grey mist that filled the room began to churn, gathering around the Rainbow Fairies. A strong, icy breeze picked up, and the mist became a foggy tornado. The girls cried out in alarm as they were suddenly lifted up off their feet. Then the windows behind them flung open and, to everyone's horror, the tornado launched itself into the stormy sky.

Shrieks filled the air as the Rainbow Fairies tumbled helplessly through the clouds. But Ruby, who was the last one out, caught sight of Queen Titania leaning out of the window, her wand raised up high. There was a crack of thunder, and Ruby saw a familiar black pot fly out from behind a storm cloud. She felt herself being sucked towards it; next thing she knew, Ruby and her sisters had been swallowed by the pot.

"We're in the pot-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow!" Amber shouted.

"Queen Titania must have been trying to protect us!" Ruby answered from the bottom of the pot.

Inky, who was closest to the pot's mouth, called out, "I think it's taking us to Rainspell Island!"

Rainspell is an island off the coast of Ireland, and it serves as the link between Fairyland and the human world. The Rainbow Fairies were very familiar with the island, as it was also their birthplace.

But as Inky pointed this out the pot, buffeted by the wind, turned bottom up, and Inky began to slide out. "Oh no, I'm falling—HELP!" she cried, her blue-black hair blowing every which way.

"_Inky!"_ Heather lunged after her sister, but at that moment the wind and rain rushed into the pot, and both Inky and Heather, along with Sky and Fern, spilled out.

"_Fern!" "Sky!" _Amber and Sunny cried, and desperately dove after their twin sisters.

"_NO!"_ Ruby shrieked as the other fairies were flung in all directions. But the pot sailed on.

* * *

Inky spiraled through the heavy rain to the south side of the island, where cottages dotted the coast. Ever the tough sister, she did her best not to scream, but almost lost it when the wind sent her straight for the chimney of one of the cottages. Luckily, she landed not on the chimney, but inside it. Falling into a pile of ashes, Inky bounced off the hearth and onto the floor of the room, scattering soot as she went. Then the back of her head hit the floor, and the world went dark.

* * *

Amber and Sky were both carried to the beach, just west of the cottages. But from there, the wind sent them to opposite ends of the shore. Before she even knew what was happening, Amber shot straight into an open oyster shell, which clamped shut on her. Sky wasn't so fortunate. A strong gust tossed her high in the air, then down again to the rocky cliffs at the north end of the beach. _Oh no,_ she thought, _if I hit the cliffs I'm done for!_ Sky managed to get out her wand and hurriedly compose a spell:

"_Keep me from the gales that send me tumbling to my fate;_

_Protect me in a magic bubble naught shall penetrate!"_

A bubble formed at the tip of her wand and grew until, with a flash of light, it enveloped Sky completely. The bubble bounced off the cliff wall and plummeted into a nearby tide pool.

* * *

Far away at the north end of the island, Heather saw the flash, but only briefly before the wind spun her around again. Now she saw on the ground below her what looked like a small carnival, with game booths, vendors, and even a small carousel. Obviously, nobody was outside due to the weather. The Violet Fairy turned her attention to the approaching carousel, and saw that there were seven rainbow-colored horses on it. She tumbled underneath the rainbow-striped carousel tent, past the horses—and directly towards the central pole. Squeezing her eyes shut, she thought, _This is going to hurt . . . ._

* * *

It didn't. Fern's landing was way more painful.

On the island's northwest corner was an old, ivy-covered stone tower. The wind dropped Fern almost directly above the tower, and she skidded down the side of the wall, snagging several vines along the way. Eventually she came to rest, suspended from the side of the tower in a tangled ball of ivy. But, as always, she kept a cool head. After catching her breath, Fern reached up to her neck to unwrap one of the vines, and was met with a sharp sting on her back. Gasping in pain, she felt below her wings and discovered a long, bloody gash matted with leaves and tattered strips of her shirt. Reaching behind her with her wand, Fern muttered a healing spell. Only a few faint sparkles came out, but slowly the gash faded, and the fabric sewed itself back together. Fern sighed, relieved. "Now for the ivy . . . ." she muttered, and set to work untangling herself.

* * *

Sunny somersaulted to the eastern end of the island, to a house just north of town. She only glimpsed a blur of green from a garden before—_thud!_ Dazed, Sunny rubbed her head, unaware of the rain pattering around her, or of the buzzing of the honey bees inside the box, on top of which she was sprawled.

"May I help you?" said a kind voice.

The Yellow Fairy sat up and turned to gaze at the worker bee that flew up beside her.

"You look a little . . . . disoriented, if I may say so." The bee nodded toward the hive entrance. "Why don't you come inside for a bit? To warm up, dry off—maybe tell your story?"

Sunny bit her lip, and nodded gratefully.

* * *

Finally, in a small forest clearing in the center of the island, the pot hit the ground, and Ruby fell face first into the dirt. Shakily standing up, she brushed the soil off of her face and looked around, but found she couldn't see anything, for it was suddenly pitch black. Then Ruby realized that the pot had landed upside-down, trapping her inside. Ruby brought out her wand and waved it around a couple times. Nothing happened. She tried again, but no sparkles came out. Her magic wouldn't work.

_I wonder if my sisters are having this problem,_ she thought nervously. Then her eyes widened. _My sisters . . . . oh, for the love of all things fey, where are my sisters? What have I done?_

Ruby sank to her knees and buried her face in her hands. "It's all my fault," she whispered into the dark, her voice choked. "It's all . . . . my . . . . fault . . . !" And with that, she broke down and cried.


	2. Revealed

**Revealed**

"Look, everyone! I've found the pot!"

"Good work, Louis!" said a second voice. "The Rainbow Fairies must be inside!"

Ruby sat up with a jolt, awakened from the restless torpor she had fallen into. She was still stuck inside the pot, but now she could hear muffled voices outside. Ruby pressed her ear to the wall to listen.

"All we have to do now is turn the pot over!" a third voice contributed.

Silence. Then a fourth, deeper voice asked, "And how exactly do you propose to do that?"

Ruby couldn't believe her luck. She knew those voices. They were the frog footmen, sent from the Fairyland Palace! Quickly she stood up and banged on the wall of the pot as hard as she could. "Bertram! Francis, Cedric, Louis! It's me, Ruby!"

The response was instantaneous. "Miss Ruby! You are safe!" said the deeper voice, which belonged to Bertram. "Are your sisters in there with you?"

Ruby hesitated. "N-no. We were separated by the wind. They were scattered around the island, I think." She sighed, her eyes brimming with tears. "You don't know where they are, then?"

"We thought they were with you," Louis said, sounding perplexed.

"Never mind that," Francis broke in. "Right now, we need to worry about getting you out of there, Miss Ruby. I don't suppose you could use your magic to get out?"

The Red Fairy shook her head, then remembered that the frogs couldn't see her. "It won't work, not while I'm in the dark. I need light to do any magic at all, and I need my sisters for powerful spells!"

"Wait," said Cedric, the practical frog. "What about a lever? We could use it to tip the pot over."

"Good thinking!" said Ruby. "A small branch and a rock should do the trick."

"An excellent idea," Bertram agreed. "Let us go look for them. We shall be right back, Miss Ruby."

The footmen were gone for a long time. Ruby was beginning to worry, but then she heard the reassuring croaks of the frogs, followed by odd clinking noises.

"We found a rock and a branch," Louis called out, "and we're setting them up against the pot now."

"Thank you so much!" Ruby replied. "And I'll help you all with my magic as soon as I can."

Instead of an answer, all Ruby heard were the groans and ribbits of the frogs at work. Soon, the pot started to lift up a little, and a beam of afternoon sunlight shone into the darkness. Ruby grabbed her wand and waved it at what she could see of the makeshift lever.

_Whoosh!_ The branch launched upward, and the pot flipped over on its side. Squinting against the glare, Ruby joyfully shot up into the air and flew a couple loop-the-loops, her flaxen braids streaming out behind her. Then she fluttered back down and gratefully threw her arms around the nearest frog, which happened to be Bertram. The footman was caught off guard, and his spectacles were knocked askew.

"You are . . . . most welcome, Miss Ruby," he managed, fumbling to straighten his spectacles.

Ruby stepped back. "Can we go look for my sisters now?" she begged.

The frogs shifted uncomfortably. "Er, I do not think _you_ can," Francis finally said. "Yesterday evening, after everyone left the ball—nobody stayed for long once Jack Frost had left—Pearl the Cloud Fairy spotted his goblins leaving Fairyland."

Ruby shuddered at the mention of the warlock's minions. "Don't tell me—they're coming here."

Francis nodded grimly. "Evidently, Jack Frost wants to have you and your sisters guarded, to prevent you from returning to Fairyland."

"So, you kind of have to stay here, with Bertram," Louis explained. "Are you okay with that?"

"Well . . . . no, not really," Ruby admitted, concerned for her sisters' safety more than her own. "But I guess I don't really have a choice." More than a little disappointed, Ruby nonetheless turned her attention to the pot. She waved her wand and, still on its side, it rolled underneath a nearby willow tree.

Bertram hopped through the willow's drooping branches after the pot. "The willow hides the pot well, Miss Ruby," he reported. "It is a nice place for you to stay."

Ruby flew after him. "Yes, but I think it needs a few furnishings," she said thoughtfully. "A table, some chairs, and a bed, maybe?" She turned to look at him. "You'll help me build them, right?"

"Of course I shall, Miss Ruby," Bertram said, bowing respectfully.

By this time the other three frogs had joined them. Francis tapped Ruby on the shoulder to get her attention. "It is time for us to go now," he told her, "and continue the search for the other Rainbow Fairies."

"Ulysses, Claude, and Olivier are also scouting the island," Cedric added, referring to three other frog footmen. "If we can avoid the goblins, we should find your sisters before the week is out."

"Oh, thank you all so much!" Ruby exclaimed as they turned to leave. "I wish you luck!"

"Goodbye, Ruby!" Louis called back. Within moments the frogs had vanished into the undergrowth.

Ruby turned to Bertram. "Well," she said briskly, "should we start making this pot livable?"

Bertram chuckled. "Whatever you say, Miss Ruby. I will go gather some twigs."


	3. Reunited

**Reunited**

Over the next three days, despite several run-ins with the dim-witted goblins, the frog footmen proved true to their word and found Amber, Sunny, and Fern without major incident. Meanwhile, Bertram and Ruby had successfully converted the pot-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow into a fairy home, complete with a bed, chairs, and a leafy carpet, all made with what they had scavenged from the forest floor.

It was now the fifth day after the Rainbow Fairies' banishment. Back on the beach, Sky the Blue Fairy was still trapped in her bubble at the bottom of the tide pool. Sky had been very bored, hungry, and sick with worry for the past few days, so she often napped the time away. On this particular morning, Sky was just waking up from a nap, when a small movement near the surface of the pool caught her eye.

To her amazement, a frog dropped into the water and swam towards her bubble. Sky recognized the frog as Claude. Excited, she stood up and waved at him. "Claude! Please, help me out of here!"

The frog footman grinned and stretched out one webbed foot to touch the bubble. But to his surprise, the bubble didn't pop. Before Sky could explain that the bubble had a magic shield, Claude seemed to realize it himself, and swam underneath it. He began to push and, with a jolt, the bubble started rising to the surface. Sky crouched down to watch. "Come on, Claude, you can do it!" she cheered him on.

But as she spoke, the morning sunlight shining into the pond faded away without warning. Then there was a strange hissing, crackling sound. Sky shivered and looked up, but the surface was now covered in a filmy layer of . . . . _Ice?_ she thought. _Why would there be ice in the summer . . . ? Oh. Oh, no._

Sky's worst fears were confirmed when she heard cackling laughter above the surface. "Hee, hee, the fairy can't get out!" It was a goblin. Two goblins, actually, sitting on the ice and peering down at the Blue Fairy mischievously. One nudged his friend, and the goblins suddenly thrust their fists through the ice.

The shards sank into the water and stuck to the bubble. To the horror of Sky and Claude, a layer of frost circled around the bubble. Sky grew dizzy watching the frost, but once it had stopped moving, she knew something was wrong when she was still reeling. _What's happening?_ the fairy thought in alarm. Seconds later she collapsed, hitting her head against the wall of the bubble.

Hazily, Sky watched as Claude furiously swam up to the hole in the ice, his sights set on the goblins. She struggled to stand, but a wave of nausea rolled over her, and she was forced back down again.

Then it hit her. Being separated from her sisters, which limited her ability to work magic, combined with the frost, had taken their toll on the Blue Fairy. As a result, Ice Sickness, the deadliest disease known to fairies, was setting in.

Some time after realizing this, Sky, now only semiconscious, vaguely noticed that the water had grown warmer. Apparently the ice had somehow melted. Weakly she sat up and looked around with big, scared eyes. At the surface, Claude had been joined by Olivier, and both frogs watched her in concern. This time Olivier dove into the pool and, with a reassuring smile, he reached out to grasp the bubble.

But by this point the magical shield had been worn away by the frost, and the bubble easily popped. Sky tumbled into the water and into the arms of a rather bewildered Olivier, who nevertheless immediately swam back up to the surface. Next thing the fairy knew, she was sprawled on a rock, coughing and spluttering and soaking wet.

Meanwhile, the frog footmen conversed worriedly, but Sky couldn't make out what they said through the fog clouding her mind. Then she felt herself being picked up again. "We're taking you back to the pot, Miss Sky, where your sisters are," Claude explained to Sky. "Hopefully they can help you."

Sky looked up at him. "You know where my sisters are?" she managed to whisper.

"The Misses Ruby, Amber, Sunny, and Fern have been found so far," Olivier told her.

The Blue Fairy smiled. "That's wonderful." She yawned and shivered again.

The frogs exchanged looks. "Let us hurry," said Claude, and they quickly hopped to the woods.

Back in the glade, where the pot-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow was, Claude and Olivier set Sky down in the grass, while Ruby, Amber, Sunny, and Fern stood around anxiously. Sunny seemed to be taking it especially hard, and rushed forward to embrace her sister. "How did this happen?!" she cried out frantically.

The two frog footmen hurriedly related the morning's events, and by the end Sunny's face had turned ashen. "I knew it," she gulped, a single tear running down her cheek. "Sky's got Ice Sickness."

Ruby, Amber, and Fern gasped. "That can't be!" said Fern.

As previously mentioned, Ice Sickness is the deadliest disease known to fairies. It is a condition similar to Heat Exhaustion, but contracted through exposure to extreme cold, combined with powerful magic. But just as humans develop an immunity to the flu, many fairies had become resistant to Ice Sickness in the past few centuries, and the disease had been mostly eradicated. Unless, of course, a fairy was forced to endure the conditions Sky had faced, or was as frail as Sky was.

"Flutterbunnies," Amber cursed softly. "What are we going to do?"

Fern squeezed her hand. "I don't know," she whispered back. "But I can't imagine the pain poor Sunny's feeling right now. Her identical twin! I'd be at a loss if something happened to you."

Sunny wasn't the only one finding it difficult to cope. Ruby had fallen into a sort of trance, the same regretful thoughts whirling through her mind: _If only I'd remembered to put Jack Frost on the list. If only I'd fallen out of the pot instead of Sky. If only I had the magic to heal her. If only, if only, if only . . . ._

"Oh, Bertram!" said Fern as the frog footman hopped over to stand by the other two frogs. "Sky has Ice Sickness, and we don't know how to heal her! What can we do?"

Bertram looked at the fairies' ill sister with concern. Sky's beautiful, big blue eyes had closed, and the blue had faded from her dress and boots. She was so pale now that her entire body seemed transparent. "I do not know, Miss Fern," Bertram replied at length, stroking his chin. "It is certainly very serious. I would suggest a spell, but there are—well . . . ."

"Only four of us," Amber finished. "Rainbow Magic does need seven healthy fairies."

"Then what_ else _can we do? There's _got_ to be _something!_" Sunny insisted.

And just like that, Ruby came back. "No, Bertram's right. A spell is the only way to cure her."

"But what if it doesn't work?" Fern asked, tugging on her dark brown pigtails in distress.

"That doesn't matter. We have to try. Quick, let's make a fairy ring." The four fairies fluttered in a circle above Sky, raising their wands. Bertram, Claude, and Olivier watched as Ruby chanted:

"_In a fairy ring we fly, to bring blue color back to Sky!"_

A swirl of red, orange, yellow, and green fairy dust covered the Blue Fairy.

* * *

In her dream, Sky stared at the black abyss before her. As time went on, she slid across the floor closer and closer to it, knowing the minute she was sucked in, it would all be over. At first, Sky had recoiled in horror, but gradually a sense of peace had washed over her, and she struggled less and less. _I could give up,_ she thought serenely. _I wouldn't have to worry about Jack Frost, or getting sick, ever again._

"No, Sky," a deep voice rumbled. "Don't do it."

Standing on the other side of the rippling chasm was none other than Jack Frost. Sky cocked her head quizzically. "What are you doing here, Jack?" she calmly asked. "Why are you in my dream?"

"He's not," the figure answered. "I am merely a shadow of his conscience." He leaned forward. "I came to tell you that he learned of your condition, and is upset that his goblins gave it to you. Jack Frost once killed a fairy by giving Ice Sickness to her, and vowed it would never happen again."

"But it _did_ happen again," said Sky, sliding forward another notch. "To me."

"Not yet it hasn't," corrected the shadow. "But if you give up it will." He sighed. "The other reason I came was to tell you about Jack Frost's soft side."

The fairy dug the heels of her boots into the ground in surprise. "He—what?"

"He does. No one ever sees it because they can't uncover it. But you can, Sky. You have compassion for him. After you and your sisters return to Fairyland, go visit Jack Frost at his castle, alone. You may be surprised at what you learn."

Sky hesitated. "All right . . . . but how do I get out of here?"

"Like you would with any dream," the shadow replied, fading into the mist. "Wake up."

* * *

"Something's happening!" someone said. "The spell is working!"

The Blue Fairy opened her eyes. All she could see was a cloud of blue stars. Then she realized that it was her own fairy dust, which meant her magic was back! Sky zoomed into the air to join her clapping and cheering sisters. "Thank you so much for healing me!" she told them gratefully.

Sunny embraced her twin and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm _so_ glad you're back!"

"Me too," Sky said, realizing what she would have missed if she had given up. After hugging and kissing her other sisters, she flew down to Claude and Olivier. "I must also thank you two for getting me out of that bubble. I would have never gotten out on my own!"

"Our pleasure, Miss Sky," Olivier replied, bowing deeply. "Only doing our job."

"And not to worry," Claude added with a flourish of his webbed hand, "our other fellow frogs are scouring the island for Miss Inky and Miss Heather as we speak!"

"Talking of which," Olivier said, "I am afraid that we must rejoin our brethren in the search."

"Of course," Sky agreed. "Goodbye, and good luck!"


	4. Returned

**Returned**

"Is she _still_ sleeping?" Sunny asked quietly, peering at the oyster shell bed.

"Yup!" Amber stifled a giggle. "That plant sure did the trick." It was afternoon on the seventh day following the Rainbow Fairies' exile. The day before, after Inky was found trapped in the cottage, the others agreed that Ruby had been overburdening herself for the past week, and needed a break. Sunny and Sky found an herb that would put Ruby to sleep, and secretly slipped it into her dinner that night.

"You do realize she's going to kill you guys when she wakes up, right?" said Fern.

Inky shrugged. "Who cares? Ruby _needs_ the extra rest after catching cold yesterday."

"Oh, I know!" Sky put in, clearing away the remains of lunch. "I can't believe she went out yesterday morning in the rain for an entire hour, and just to get things for breakfast!"

"Better me than you." Everyone turned to see Ruby awake, giving them a bleary yet annoyed look.

"Um, good mo—er, afternoon, Ruby," a surprised Amber said jauntily.

Ruby sighed and slid out of the seashell. "It's not funny! I don't _like_ it when you all do my chores!"

Inky rolled her eyes. "Ruby, we _get_ that you're the oldest, and are only trying to care for us. But let's face it: you're an overachiever, you're overprotective, you overdo every single little thing—"

"I do not—"

"OH YES YOU DO!" all of her sisters chorused.

Ruby tensed indignantly. But before she could reply, Inky, who had quickly ducked outside the pot, whooped with joy, and shouted, "Hey, girls! The other six frogs are back, _and they've found Heather!_"

"Yippee!" Amber sang out, cartwheeling out of the pot. The other fairies darted after her. Sure enough, the frog footmen were standing on the other side of the glade, with Heather hovering above them. As soon as she saw her sisters, Heather squealed with delight and swooped down to meet them.

Ruby reached her first. "I'm so glad you're okay!" she exclaimed, embracing Heather affectionately.

"Same here!" Inky chimed in, kissing Heather on the cheek. "Where were you this whole time?"

Heather laughed. "In a painting on the carousel. Rather pleasant, actually, but the music was _loud!_"

"Does this mean we get to go home, now that we're all together?" Sunny piped up.

"Of course it does!" Ruby declared. "Let's get Bertram over here and head back to Fairyland!"

"I DON'T THINK SO!"

Everyone froze, then slowly and fearfully turned to look at the willow tree. A frosty gust of wind blew back the tree's branches, where Bertram was cowering under the pot. There was a hissing noise, and with a blinding flash of light, none other than Jack Frost materialized in front of the tree.

The winter warlock cackled. "So, you're all together again, thanks to those worthless toads!"

The frogs' eyes bulged fearfully, and they bolted for the thicket. But Jack Frost ignored them and focused on the fairies. "As for you, I'd like to know, what makes you think you can return to Fairyland?"

Quashing her panic, Ruby fluttered in front of the warlock and folded her arms. "Fairyland is where we belong, Jack Frost! You had _no_ right to cast us out over an honest mistake—"

"SILENCE!" he roared, forcing Ruby back. "I will _never_ allow you to return!"

The Rainbow Fairies were terrified. Amber and Fern clung to Ruby for comfort, while Sunny and Sky likewise held each other tightly. Inky clenched her fists, trying to suppress her fear with anger. But Heather's mind was racing. _There's no way we can escape Jack Frost. But . . . . maybe we could stop him? _She remembered the bubble shield Sky had used to protect herself in the storm the week before. _That's it!_ she realized. Before the warlock could react, Heather flew forward and quickly cast a spell:

"_To stop Jack Frost from causing trouble, catch him in a magic bubble!"_

A lavender-tinted bubble took shape on the end of Heather's wand, steadily growing bigger. Jack Frost sneered and raised his own wand. But suddenly he vanished—and reemerged inside the bubble!

The winter warlock's expression turned from surprise to rage. "What—let me out! This _instant!_"

"Great job, Heather!" Ruby praised. "Quick, girls! Let's make a rainbow and get out of here!"

But a cry from one of the footmen, Louis, stopped them. "Look! Jack Frost is melting!"

Sure enough, inside the bubble, water was dripping from the warlock everywhere. His eyes were wide with fright. "Well," remarked Claude, "he cannot stop you from going home now!"

Yet Sky was torn. It seemed only fair that Jack Frost be punished for what he had done to them, but this felt cruel. Also, Sky thought back to her dream. _If he does indeed have a soft side . . . ._ "No," she finally said aloud. "What Jack Frost did to us was wrong, but that doesn't mean we should get even." Resolving to visit him when this was all over, Sky concluded, "I think we should let him out of the bubble."

Silence. Then, "Sky's right," said Heather. Then she frowned. "But what if he tries to cast a spell?"

"Leave it to me." Sky flew to the bubble and nervously looked at the warlock. He coolly returned her gaze, but nodded slightly. _He knows, then,_ Sky thought. Relieved, she quietly whispered her spell:

"_Back to Fairyland you'll go, safe inside a dome of snow!"_

Jack Frost spun around as the bubble began to shrink, smaller and smaller, until it was the size of the fairies' hands. Then, with a faint _pop,_ the bubble disappeared, leaving behind a little snowglobe.

"Good thinking, Sky!" Sunny congratulated. "Now the snow will stop Jack Frost from melting!"

Bertram hopped over to scoop up the snowglobe, while a miniature Jack Frost stamped his foot angrily. "I will give this to the king and queen." he explained. "They will decide what to do with him."

"Thank you, Bertram," said Ruby. Then she fluttered down to the other frog footmen. "And thank you all a thousand times for rescuing my Rainbow Sisters!"

If frogs could blush, these six certainly did. "It is our duty, Miss Ruby," Ulysses said, doing his best not to stammer. "We have always been the guardians of the fairies, and we always will be."

"And you've done a wonderful job," Fern put in. "King Oberon and Queen Titania are lucky to have such devoted footmen!"

The other fairies cheered. Then Ruby cut them off with, "Wait! There will be plenty of time for that later. But for now, I think Fairyland's rainbow has been empty for too long. Who's ready to go home?"

"Let's go!" Inky shouted, pumping her fist in the air. The Rainbow Fairies gathered in a circle around the seven frogs, raising their wands. Moments later, all that remained was a cloud of sparkles. A rainbow arced across the cloudless sky.


End file.
